


Insecurities

by Larry_Klaine_Stylinson



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-11
Updated: 2013-04-11
Packaged: 2017-12-08 03:26:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/756470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Larry_Klaine_Stylinson/pseuds/Larry_Klaine_Stylinson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The boys are in an interview when Harry gets asked what one thing he'd like to change about himself, and he says the way he talks, because the boys tease him about it a lot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Insecurities

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written as a prompt fill on Tumblr.

The boys were doing a radio interview today. They'd been here for a good forty minutes by now, and Louis was beyond ready to go home.

"Alright, we've just got a few more questions left." The interviewer told them. "This one is from a girl on Twitter named Charlene, and she wants to know what's the one thing about yourself that you'd change. Harry?"

Louis looked over at Harry, who sat there biting his lip for a moment, his brow furrowed, deep in thought.

"The way I talk, I guess." Harry finally answered. "The boys are always ragging on me for how slow I speak, and I feel like maybe I bore people sometimes because of it, you know? It's not so easy as just deciding to start talking faster. I'm just a naturally slow speaker, and I'm stuck this way. So, yeah. If I could change one thing it'd be the way I speak."

Harry had been speaking casually. Just answering the question and making conversation, and to the untrained eye everything would have seemed fine. But Louis knew Harry, and he could tell that he was really upset about it. He'd never known that the way Harry talked actually made him insecure. He used to tease him about it as well, before they got together, but if he was being honest that had been flirting for him back then.

He loved the way Harry spoke. The slowness of it was anything but boring. It was nice and enchanting and his rich tone made it all the lovelier.

Louis found himself feeling slightly angry with the rest of the lads for making Harry feel that way about himself. Harry should never feel insecure ever. He was perfect even in his imperfections, and Louis needed him to know that. He didn't need to change the way he spoke.

"Louis?"

Shit. He'd been too busy thinking about Harry to pay attention to the interviewer.

"Hm?" He asked, trying to play it off as if he just hadn't quite heard her.

"I said, What's your favorite part about working with the lads?"

They got this question all the time. Why did she have to ask it again?

"Just how well we got on with each other, I think. They're all like my brothers." That was bullshit. If Harry was like a brother to him it would be mighty creepy. In fact the whole thing was bullshit right now because he was mad at the other three lads for hurting Harry's feelings through the years. He'd never known their words had actually hurt Harry and now that he did know he was sort of fuming. "I can't imagine my life without them, really. They're great lads." That was the truth, however.

"Well, that's all we have time for today. Thank you for being with us." She said.

"Thank you." The boys chorused.

"This has been One Direction. Tune in tomorrow for another secret guest."

"Bye!" All the boys shouted into their microphones.

"Great interview, boys." The woman said as soon as they were off air. "Thanks for dropping by."

"Of course." Liam smiled.

"Lou, I'm popping off to the toilet really quickly." Harry whispered in Louis' ear. "Don't let the car leave without me."

Louis nodded, and as soon as Harry had left the room and the interviewer had gone as well, Louis just sort of let his anger out, turning to face Niall, Zayn and Liam.

"Did you see how upset Harry was?" He asked.

"When?" Niall question.

"When he started talking about what he'd change about himself."

"He didn't seem that upset to me." Liam said.

"Of course not. Because he's good at hiding these things when he really wants to. You know that."

"But we've been teasing him about that for years. He knows it's just a joke." Zayn argued.

"Apparently not. I saw the look in his eyes, alright, lads? I know him. I know he was upset, and I want you lot to cut it out."

"You want us to stop teasing him?" Zayn asked.

Louis nodded.

"We all tease each other all the time." Niall said. "It's just what we do. I'd feel like I was leaving him out if I stopped."

"So tease him about his hair or something. He knows we all love that. I think he honestly thinks we find his voice annoying, lads. And I don't know about you, but I love his voice. I love everything about him, and I won't have you lot bringing him down. So just stop, yeah?"

"Alright, Louis." Liam said. "Alright, calm down."

"I won't calm down, Liam! You've upset him."

"Lou, we'll stop, alright, mate?" Zayn said, sounding more annoyed than sympathetic at this point.

"You're not taking me seriously." Louis crossed his arms over his chest. "Whatever. Continue being twats."

"We really are sorry." Niall said. "We didn't know it was upsetting him, and neither did you until just now. Just take a breather."

Louis huffed, turning around and walking out of the studio, nearly running into Harry who was on his way back from the toilet. All five boys headed out to the car, and Harry looked at Louis with curious eyes.

"What happened? You lot seem tense."

"Nothing." Louis shrugged.

But on the way back to his and Harry's flat he stayed pressed up against Harry's side, not speaking to the rest of the boys, and Harry was looking at him worriedly.

When they arrived at the flat, Louis plopped down on the couch, patting the space next to him, but Harry insisted on making them tea first.

"We're out of Yorkshire tea, Lou. You drank all of it." Harry laughed. "Chamomile alright?"

"Sure." Louis said, propping his feet up on their coffee table.

A few minutes later and Harry was walking out of the kitchen, two steaming mugs of tea in his hand. He handed one to Louis before sitting down next to him.

"How come you didn't tell me it bothered you?" Louis asked, snuggling up to Harry's side.

"What? That you drank all the Yorkshire? It's really not a problem, Lou. Yorkshire is your favorite, not mine."

"No. Not that." Louis sighed. "Your voice. Or rather, the boys teasing you about your voice."

"It's not a big deal." Harry shrugged. "The lady just wanted to know what I'd change about myself, so I went with that."

"I saw the look in your eyes, Harry. I could tell you were genuinely upset. Don't think I don't know you well enough to see these things."

"It's fine, Lou." Harry insisted.

"That's what all the tension was about. In the car. I told them to leave you alone about it."

"Oh." Harry said. "Thanks."

"Anytime, Hazza."

"You really didn't have to, though. I'm a big boy. I can handle a bit of harmless teasing."

"But it's not harmless if it upsets you." Louis said.

"But they aren't trying to upset me. They're just goofing around. We all make fun of each other, Lou."

"You're upset about it, though. And that means it's not funny anymore. It's hurtful and it's not alright, you know? They can tease you about other things, like your crazy curly hair. Because we all know that no matter what anyone said, you'd always love your hair."

"True." Harry smiled. "I mostly just love how much you love it, though."

"Did you know I love your voice, too?" Louis asked, smiling up at him and sipping his tea.

"Yeah?"

"Mhhm." Louis nodded. "I like how slow it is. It's not boring. It draws me in and makes me want to listen really closely to everything you say."

Harry smiled, wrapping an arm around Louis' shoulders, and Louis rested his head on Harry's shoulder, bringing his free hand up to play with the curls at the base of the younger boy's neck.

"And so maybe your voice is different. And maybe some people don't like it. But it's perfect to me." Louis told him. "It's perfect to me because everything about you is perfect. And I know the lads weren't trying to hurt your feelings, but I couldn't just sit by and let them upset you when I know for a fact that you are absolutely perfect, Hazza."

"Thank you, Boo Bear." Harry smiled, kissing Louis on the top of the head.

"Don't thank me, Harry. Just remember how perfect you are, okay? Just always remember that."

"As long as you're with me, I don't think I could possibly forget."


End file.
